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Honors Program in Engineering

The Engineering Honors Program offers talented and motivated students advanced multi-disciplinary educational experiences. It enables junior and senior students in the College of Engineering to enhance their major programs with independent research and collaborative academic activities with faculty members. The honors program provides students with opportunities to sharpen their critical thinking, individual and team problem-solving strategies, and communication skills. Students who graduate from the Engineering Honors Program will be especially well prepared to enter graduate schools, as well as professional practice.

Students can get additional information from department Honors Program Contacts.

Honors Program Admissions Requirements

Admission to the Engineering Honors Program is by nomination of the faculty. Typically, students qualify for admission if they meet the following criteria:

  • completion of at least 50 hours of coursework;
  • matriculation into a COE department;
  • total GPA of at least 3.5, unless otherwise designated by the major department; and
  • major GPA of at least 3.5 based on nine hours in the major or in courses designated by the department.

Students who meet these criteria and wish to participate in the honors program can also contact the honors faculty in their departments or the Dean's Office to identify themselves for possible nomination. Faculty may also nominate unusually promising students who do not meet all of these criteria.

Honors Coursework

Junior and senior students who participate in the Engineering Honors Program must complete a minimum of nine credit hours of COE honors coursework. The nine hours must come from at least two of the following categories:

  • Special courses for honors students, including courses open only to honors students, honors (H) sections of regularly scheduled courses, honors options in regularly scheduled courses that departments may designate as appropriate for COE honors, and student or faculty initiated honors options in 300 or 400 COE courses.
  • Advanced courses at the 500 level that are taken as electives or substitutes for lower level courses.
  • Independent studies that may take a variety of formats, such as a senior thesis or paper, a project, or a faculty-directed teaching experience or project. Project-related and research-related internships on or off campus, Cooperative Education, and Research Experiences for Undergraduates can receive honors credit if students document their efforts and if the documentation receives satisfactory faculty review.

At least one of the honors courses or experiences will produce a paper or report on a research or professional topic. All COE honors courses or experiences must be approved before taken for honors credit.

Honors Priority Scheduling

Through an arrangement with the Department of Registration and Records, university and College of Engineering honors participants are given priority scheduling. This system helps to ensure that participants in the honors program are able to register for the required colloquiums, honors courses, and regular academic courses.

Honors Program Graduation Requirements

To complete the Engineering Honors Program, a student must:

  • receive at least a B in designated honors coursework (or a Pass in independent study), and
  • achieve at least a total GPA of 3.50.

Honors Program Special Recognition

The College of Engineering will recognize students who complete the Egnineering Honors Program with the following:

  • "Honors" seal on their diplomas;
  • "H" for "Honors" beside their names in the Commencement program;
  • the phrase, "Completed the Honors Program in the College of Engineering" on their permanent transcripts; and
  • their names listed in the Honors Convocation program.

For more information: Honors Program Contacts

Other Links

Benjamin Franklin Scholars
Scholarships for New Students
Scholarships for Current Students
University Honors Program
University Scholars Program